Positive macroeconomic developments spurred buying at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) despite deteriorating situation the Middle East as the benchmark KSE-100 Index gained over 1,200 points on Friday.
At close, the benchmark index settled at 182,241.77, an increase of 982.10 points or 0.54%.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed broad-based buying on Friday, with strong interest seen in automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertilizer, oil and gas exploration companies, oil marketing companies (OMCs), and power generation stocks. Index-heavy scrips, including HUBCO, MARI, OGDC, PPL, NBP and UBL, traded in positive territory.
Investor sentiment was supported by strong macroeconomic developments. Pakistan recorded a historic $41.6 billion in workers’ remittances during fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), the highest annual inflow in the country’s history.
Adding to the positive outlook, the World Bank approved $375.9 million in financing for the Grid Stability Enhancement Project under the Boosting Energy Security through Transmission in Pakistan (BEST-PAK) Multiphase Programmatic Approach.
The gains followed a volatile session on Thursday, when the benchmark KSE-100 Index recovered most of its intraday losses through selective buying in blue-chip stocks after Wednesday’s sharp sell-off driven by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The index eventually closed at 181,259.68 points, down 369.69 points, or 0.20%.
